Open Call: Regional Autumn School "Natural Resource Rights in the Arab Middle East and North Africa"

2014 August 04

Heinrich Böll Foundation, represented through its offices in Ramallah, Beirut, Tunis, and Rabat in cooperation with the International Union for Conservation of Nature / Regional Office for West Asia (IUCN ROWA), will be hosting a regional Autumn School “Natural Resource Rights in the Arab Middle East and North Africa” in Amman, Jordan from November 23 – 27, 2014.

Securing human rights, livelihoods, and a decent standard of living through sustainable use of nature and resources can only be achieved if we work on reconnecting ecological sustainability, social justice, and democracy. Resource exploitation, the way it is currently conducted, “ignores ecosystem integrity and basic human rights; people are disempowered and human rights are sacrificed for an economic model that works neither for the majority of people nor for the planet.”[1]

The Autumn School 2014 – in continuation of previous years’ Summer Schools – will focus on land and resource rights, specifically tackling issues of privatization of public spaces and access to water. It will also discuss questions of decentralization, ownership, and participation in natural resources management, as well as the relation between Gender and access to natural resources. The methodology will be varied, including lectures, working groups, round table discussions, workshops and others.

It is designed to build the capacities of the participants and to stir a debate about urgent current policy topics. It will also provide the international lecturers with information about and viewpoints from the region, and offer an excellent platform for exchanging ideas, opinions, arguments and sharing experiences across the region. The program shall promote networking among civil society actors, researchers, and activists in the region working in the fields of resource rights, governance, climate, gender and environment.

This Autumn School inter alia addresses junior professionals, postgraduates, activists, and researchers working at NGO’s, civil society organizations, think tanks or other institutions from Arab countries in the Middle East and North Africa. The age range is between 23 and 35 years.

Application Process:

To be considered, an application should include the attached Application Form and a Curriculum Vitae as well as a short paper (2 pages maximum). The paper should focus on the topic of the Summer School and show the applicant’s knowledge as well as their ability to work independently and creatively. To this end, the applicant should choose a topic from within the subject area and point out its relevance to their local or national context, e.g. by introducing an exemplary project, a current debate etc. This can be written in form of an essay or a short academic paper.

The Autumn School will be conducted in Arabic and English with simultaneous translation. Good command of the English language is highly important since preparation material will be circulated before the Autumn School, a large part of which will consist of English literature. The participants are therefore asked to indicate their English level in the application form.

Travel and accommodation costs of the participants will be covered by the Heinrich Böll Foundation.

Please hand in your application documents via email.

Applicants from Palestine and Jordan are asked to submit their application documents in English to: Heinrich Böll Foundation Ramallah, Ms. Svenja Oberender (Svenja.Oberender@ps.boell.org)

Applicants from Morocco are asked to submit their application documents in English, Arabic, or French to:Heinrich Böll Foundation Rabat, Ms. Zainab Elguerrab (Zainab.Elguerrab@ma.boell.org)

Applicants from other North African countries are asked to submit their application documents in English, Arabic, or French to:Heinrich Böll Foundation Tunis, Mr. Wissam Gallala (Wissam.Gallala@tn.boell.org)

Applicants from Lebanon, Iraq, and Syria are asked to submit their application documents in either English or Arabic to:Heinrich Böll Foundation Beirut, Ms. Corinne Deek (Corinne.Deek@lb.boell.org)

The Autumn School is addressed at participants from the Arab North Africa and Middle East, i.e. the countries in which the hbs offices Beirut, Ramallah, Tunis, and Rabat work. Unfortunately, we cannot accept applications from other countries.

Dear robleh osman, unfortunately the Autumn School is not open for every country in the MENA region, but only for participants from the countries which the hbs offices Beirut, Tunis, Rabat, and Ramallah work in (which are the countries named in the Call for Applications). I am very sorry for the inconvenience; we had to make this difficult decision because of the necessarily limited number of participants for such a workshop.

Dear Sir or Madam
Does the short paper required is a different paper than the information inside the application document that asks about my experience about the topic? Is it a separate document?
Thanks and Best Regards
Mohamed Khaled

Dear Ranin, the call for applications is still open until 10th of September, so you and everyone else still have 7 days to apply - we really cannot extend it any longer. Looking forward to receive your application!

Dear Mohammed Khaled, the paper or essay is different from the "experience" section of the application form. As it says above: The paper is meant to "show the applicant’s knowledge as well as their ability to work independently and creatively. To this end, the applicant should choose a topic from within the subject area and point out its relevance to their local or national context, e.g. by introducing an exemplary project, a current debate etc. This can be written in form of an essay or a short academic paper."

Dear Ossama, please also send your application to my colleague Wissam (see email address above). As an Egyptian you are eligible to apply; in exceptional cases we may be able to accept participants who are from the region but temporarily abroad.

Dear Telche Abu Sulttan and Julia Strobl, the Autumn School is addressed at environmentalists from the MENA countries our offices work in (mentioned in the call). Participants numbers are very limited and therefore we unfortunately need to put selection criteria. You're very welcome to participate in any public events that our offices in Beirut, Tunis, Rabat, and Ramallah organize! Please follow our websites and facebook pages for updates on any planned events.

Kind regards to all of you, and thanks a lot for your interest and questions!
Svenja

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The Challenge

There is a growing international awareness of climate change as a universal threat to human development that goes far beyond a narrow “environmental problem”. hbs, in its joint efforts together with partners in Palestine and Jordan aims at highlighting the connection between environmental issues and dimensions of equality, human rights, and collective rights. hbs projects are related to Environmental Justice, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energies, and Natural Resource Management.
In the context of Palestine, the ongoing occupation aggravates existing environmental issues and prevents Palestinians from the use of their own natural resources. Gaza faces the direct consequences of the blockade. In Jordan renewable energy and environmental protection yet have to become part of the country’s reform agenda and a stronger public engagement.

Green Economy is a source of both hope and controversy. For some, it points the way out of permanent environmental and economic crises and promises to reconcile – a long cherished Utopia – ecology and economics. It fosters the hope that we can hang on to our current high standard of material prosperity.